“Any plans?” Meuko says.

“Volter?” Sylvar says.

“Honestly… I am out of ideas.” I say.

We are in the wild, northwest of the Village, outside of the mines at a safe distance. Traveling to the location of the mines was uneventful, mainly because I was completely lost in thought. Sylvar did a good job of guiding us away from any monsters, but I was not even paying enough attention to take a look at them. I have been thinking about Travlon’s words all day.

A scroll… See magic… Voices…

Gray goblins guard this place. This area lacks the creepy hangings and “effigies”, as Sylvar explained them to me. Goblins use sticks to mount carcasses on top of them. An effort to display their hunting prowess and intimidate any intruders. That certainly made me question our existence. Intruders from where? Who else lives in these lands? I thought it was just a Village and animals. Suddenly, goblins came into the picture. Then, there is the matter of the griffins. How many are there? I look up, discerning the mountain range through the foliage of trees. This side of the mountains is rather different. There are distant rope ladders at different heights, suggesting that the goblins actually traverse these places often. We decided to avoid venturing that far north for the time being. Once was an emergency and we just kept running for our lives that day. Thankfully, Sylvar has been focusing on avoiding other creatures, leading us with the sole purpose of keeping us out of sight and safe. I wonder what he sees every time he decides to change our route ever so slightly. Now… What about the goblins? The gray ones are a bit different. These ones carry larger shields, at least… The guards in front of the mine entrance do. They also have leather helmets, probably fashioned from the animals that were freed from those caves. All the animals that somehow freed themselves in that fight… Were they all used just for leather? Monster- I mean Sylvie, as Julie decided, growls next to Sylvar, drawing our attention some distance away from the mine. A group of goblins carry a dead deer, laughing and shouting, basically goading their hunting results.

“This is not just a mine. They have set up base here.” Sylvar says.

“Not good.” Meuko says, fixing the position of the supply bag on her back.

“How do we get the ores?” I say.

“I do not see another way around. We could still spend more time looking for one.” Sylvar says.

“It is already noon. We wasted too much time getting here.” I say.

“Volt...” Meuko says.

“We needed to avoid certain… Threats, my friend Volter.” Sylvar says.

“Like what? We barely saw anything.” I say.

“Volt.” Meuko says, hitting me in the chest.

“Ouch. What the-” I stop, noticing the anger on Meuko’s expression.

“We lack his eyesight. Remember that.” Meuko says.

“I…” I focus on the task ahead.

“Regardless, we should probably keep notes.” Sylvar says.

“Here you go, Volt.” Meuko says, handing me the notebook and the coal pen.

Modesta made these for us, thinking that it would be useful for us to write down information about our travels. The notebook itself is rather simple. It is a bit smaller than the size of my palm, including my fingers of course. There are several pages of paper, which Modesta made sure to explain in detail that… It was an extreme sacrifice of resources for him. This “refining” magic, as he calls it, leaves him unable to perform other tasks and drains his abilities rather fast. The pages are kept inside of a cover with an unknown material which is thicker and much sturdier than paper. There are thin bits of rope running intricately through this thick material. It improves my grip, which is rather useful when I write in this type of terrain. Finally, the book is held together with this unknown to me material through the use of rope. Five rings of rope with a knot at the end of them have been pierced through every page at the far end of their sides. The rings are hardened, making it much easier for me to flip through the pages easily without the rope bending and making things difficult. Modesta really came through with this one. Then, there is the matter of the pen. He used coal and condensed it into an elongated, almost like a needle, form. He used carved wood as a handle. I can easily write with it. He told me to carve away bits of the wood as I slowly went through the coal. I have to admit, that was rather thoughtful of him. We should figure out a way to make a reusable pen though, instead of throwing away wood like that. That would make it easier for him, as well.

“Done.” I say, putting my hastily written notes on goblins aside. I have attempted a few sketches but… No, they cannot be called sketches. More like… Lines with vague intent.

“No drawings this time, I trust?” Sylvar says, chuckling.

“Really? I was looking forward to it.” Meuko says.

“One day, I will be known for my sketches… Kids will line up for my skills.” I say.

“Kids do love a good laugh.” Sylvar says.

Meuko and I laugh under our breath. I gesture to the group that we retreat a bit further back. As we do so, we hear the very familiar snarling. We have been found.

“Shit.” I say.

Sylvar immediately fires an arrow towards the gray goblin. The motions Sylvar went through were so fast, I could barely keep up with them. The turning of his waist, the lowering of his knees… And a new loading method for his arrow. Instead of grabbing an arrow and drawing it, he grabbed two. One was drawn while the other was exchanged with his right hand, stored in the same hand that is holding the bow. As soon as one arrow was fired, he already had the second one drawn. Not that he needed that, since the first one found the goblin straight in the chest, taking the air out of the goblin’s lungs. At least we avoided the screaming. The goblin was standing on a tree branch, watching us from above. As soon as the body hits the ground with a cracking sound that I assume comes from broken bones, Sylvie pounces on what appears to be a fresh meal. I can barely see the goblin’s features before our new companion bites down on them, breaking the “meal” into smaller bites, trading pieces between its heads.

“Oh, that is disgusting.” I say, feeling as if I could vomit any second.

“This is the same as slashing them, Volt. Get used to it.” Meuko says.

“Syl, stop. Syl… Stop it. I said stop.” Sylvar says.

Sylvie is not listening to any of Sylvar’s… Suggestions, at least I think they are, at this point. Our new companion is a messy eater. Like a baby not knowing how to hold a bowl… A bowl filled with blood and guts.

“Is this gonna take long… The sound is horrible.” I say, averting my eyes but trying to stay focused.

“I guess not everyone can thrive on fruit and berries.” Meuko says, eating dried fruit straight from the supply bag.

“Really?” I ask in pure disbelief that a person could eat while watching this… Gory spectactle.

“We all have our needs, my friend Volter. No judging.” Sylvar says.

“No judging… Just general aversion.” I say.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Come Syl, carry it with you.” Sylvar says.

Sylvie grabs the remaining slob of meat with one head, while the other keeps drooling over the deformed body. I imagine it is quite happy with what it found.

“Can you tell it to eat elsewhere or something?” I beg Sylvar.

“It? Sylvie is female.” Sylvar responds.

“I should have never stopped that day.” I say.

“But you did. And now Sylvie is with us.” Meuko says.

“I have to thank you, my friend Volter. I really needed Sylvie’s company.” Sylvar says.

“Julie seems to like it.” I say.

“It?” Meuko says, dragging one word to extreme sarcastic proportions.

“I get it, she. How do we know that? I do not notice genitals.” I ask.

“The poison she once carried. There are two kinds of Blight Dogs I know of. One has poison sacs on its throat. Strong poison. Those are named female. The others have the ability to shriek, like that griffin. Those are named male. The distinction is mainly for people, even though there are other differences as well.” Sylvar says.

“Like?” Meuko asks, clearly entertained.

“I do believe that the female ones regurgitate their food.”Sylvar says.

“No...” I say.

The gurgling sounds and trading of disgusting masses between the heads confirms Sylvar’s words. I am going to throw up.

“A natural response to their stomach’s acidity.” Sylvar adds, clearly disregarding my comment.

“Nothing natural about it...” I say.

“Who are we to decide? Are you normal? Is Meuko? Is Julielle? Abominations are beings, same as all of us.” Sylvar says.

“Same as those goblins…” I say, looking south, towards the location of our previous battle.

“Very much so.” Sylvar says.

“We need to leave. They are gonna come looking for this goblin.” I say, checking my new armor. Blago made a new set of armor for me. All this training I went through made me stronger. In almost a month, my legs got strong enough that I can now wear metal chest armor without losing mobility. That must be why Blago was focusing so much on my footwork. All the knife straps are secure, so is the pouch with the bandages. Rope is secure. I should have brought a sword with me. Looking up, I realize that everyone is looking at me. Even Sylvie.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing. You look… Serious.” Meuko says.

“A welcome surprise, of course.” Sylvar adds.

Sylvie burps and sits right next to Sylvar.

“I can be serious.” I say.

“I would suggest keeping that a secret. Would not want anyone to find out.” Sylvar mocks.

“People might ask you to step up and be a lead-”

“Quiet.” Sylvar interjects. “Something is not as it should be.”

I ready my knives.

“Heel.” Sylvar says and Sylvie growls next to him, awaiting further orders.

All I can see around us is trees. There are bushes as well, I suppose. Some undergrowth, leaves, twigs... We cannot see the mine from here, so I relaxed, thinking that any patrols would not be around here. Was I wrong?

“Anything, Sylvar?” Meuko asks. She has her usual weapons ready… Her hands. That should be enough.

I realized why we are on edge even though there are no goblins around us. They are above us.

“UP.” I shout, looking at goblins.

Sylvar has his bow ready but he does not shoot. I do not throw any knives either. We are frozen in place not just because of fear but of wonder as well. These goblins are smaller. Much smaller. They attempt to snarl at us, only to have low shrieks come out. These are goblin kids. No weapons, no shields, not even any clothing.

“This is weird… Right?” I ask.

“Sylvar?” Meuko says.

“Most definitely.” Sylvar answers.

The kid goblins are staying on their branches, wincing every time they hear our voice.

“Ideas, my friend Volter?” Sylvar says silently. All four of us have gathered close, keeping a tight circle. I count tens of kids, some jumping from branch to branch, trying to catch a glimpse of us from another position.

“Me? Why me?” I say, trying to not sound too flustered. I am.

“Volt, this is your group. Deal with it.” Meuko says.

“That does not mean I have a plan all… The… Weird times.” I say.

“Could have fooled me.” Sylvar says.

The goblins keep snarling at us but they do not seem to run away. Why are they not running away? I reach a hand inside Meuko’s bag and take out some dried fruit. I place them on the ground and gesture to the group to take a few steps back. All the goblins look at us curiously but none dare move closer.

“They are not animals.” Meuko says.

“Animals are not the only ones that need to eat.” I say.

“We should consider running away. More could be on the way.” Meuko says.

“I rather agree with that.” Sylvar says.

“I am thinking.” I say.

A goblin kid crawls down and slowly walks towards the food, maintaining eye contact. It looks… Weak. All bones, smaller than the nine year old kids we have at the Village. The skin is ragged. They look dehydrated.

“Officially out of thoughts.” I say.

“This is quite dangerous.” Sylvar says.

The goblin kid grabs the food and rubs it on its hand.

“That is food.” I say.

“It is merely testing to see if it is poisonous, my friend Volter.” Sylvar says.

“Really?” I ask.

“Watch.” Meuko says.

After rubbing it on its hand and waiting for a minute, it rubs the food on its lips. Another minute passes and the kid finally eats the piece of dried fruit. It gestures to the rest of the group and the kids come down, one by one.

“Meuko?” I ask, gesturing at her bag.

Meuko takes all the nuts and berries and dried fruit that we had on us and placed it on the ground. The goblin kids look at each other for a moment, confused, and then jump at the opportunity for more food. After eating everything on site, including a bit of dirt and leaves, they look at us, almost expecting.

“No more.” Meuko says, waving her hands.

The kids all sigh and start climbing the trees again, jumping from one tree to the next until they are out of sight. They can understand us?

“The hobgoblin talked to us.” I say.

“Yes, Volt.” Meuko says.

“And these kids could understand you right now.” I say.

“Possibly.” Meuko says.

“Do you think we could talk to the goblins inside the mine?” I ask.

“So… You do have a plan.” Sylvar says, petting Sylvie.

“Not really. Just thinking.” I say.

“More importantly… Food?” Meuko asks.

“It worked.” Sylvar says.

“Not the point. What made you want to give them food.” Meuko continues.

“Sylvar did not shoot them.” I say.

“I saw that they were kids… I found it difficult.” Sylvar says.

“What about the other day? You did not hesitate then, Outsider.” Meuko says.

“We were in the middle of a fight. That is all.” Sylvar says.

“Regardless… They left us in peace. Maybe we can communicate.” I say.

“The last time you tried that, we almost died at the hands of one sorcerer.” Meuko says.

“Rather negative today, my friend Meuko.” Sylvar says.

“I just want to mention all dangers.” Meuko answers.

“We should not have done that… I should not have burned their home.” I say.

“They kept countless animals prisoners, did unspeakable things to them, almost killed Hollis and Sylvar… Am I missing something?” Meuko says.

“Still… That hobgoblin… It talked about our place. About us. It knew us. No more mindlessly killing people.”

“Are you sure, my friend Volter?” Sylvar asks.

“I think so.”

“If they attack us?” Meuko says.

“Definitely kill. I am not explaining anyone’s death to Julie.” I say.

“Negotiating unless survival comes into question. Rather sensible.” Sylvar says.

“We should go back. We are out of food anyways.” I say.

A sudden thudding sound makes us drop down and hide behind bushes. The ground shakes with every… Step? I take my head out of cover for a second, just to see what is near us.

“What… Is that?” I say, shocked.

“That is one of the things we have been avoiding. A troll.” Sylvar says.

A huge creature, even at a distance, that makes the hobgoblin we fought look small in comparison. It has patches of fur on its back, with saggy skin covering its body. Its long, slender arms have what appears to be blood. It must have been hunting. Or it might even still be hunting. I think I can discern long claws that it uses as it moves between trees. They must be useful when it is tearing flesh apart for consumption. I cannot quite make out its face, nor do I wish to get closer in order to find out. The green and brown fur and skin that look like moss make it difficult to distinguish the monster when it moves between trees and bushes. Even though I could see it just a moment ago, with that small difference of distance, it has become one with its surroundings. Why have that though?

“We go back. Now.” Meuko says.

“Follow me.” Sylvar says, leading the way.

We slowly returned to the village, changing routes when needed. I do not doubt Sylvar’s path finding skills anymore. I do not wish to see any more trolls. We make it back late afternoon, at which point we bid each other goodnight almost instantly. Hunger will do that.

“At least we did not almost die today.” I say.

“True.” Meuko says.

“Did I shoot a kid?” Sylvar asks.

Everyone stays silent. I thought about it. We did not get a good look at the goblin before Sylvie made it unrecognizable so it is entirely possible. Still, Sylvar was only protecting us.

“I do not think so.” I say.

“Probably a patrol.” Meuko says.

“Right...” Sylvar says, separating from the group and going to practice his archery.

“See you.” I say.

“Good night.” Meuko says.

I am not sure if today was a good day or not. Nothing much happened but at least I did not fight for my life… Again. I have a feeling that is about to change.